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Peyton Place (novel)
Encyclopedia
Peyton Place is a 1956
novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times
best seller list
for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series.
The fictional Peyton Place is a composite of several real New Hampshire towns: Gilmanton
, Gilford
, Laconia
and Manchester
. Grace Metalious and her husband George first considered Potter Place (the name of a real community near Andover, New Hampshire
). Realizing their town should have a fictional name, they looked through an atlas and found Payton (the name of a real town in Texas). They combined that with Place and changed the "a" to an "e". Thus, Peyton Place was created, prompting her comment, "Wonderful—that's it, George. Peyton Place. Peyton Place, New Hampshire. Peyton Place, New England. Peyton Place, USA. Truly a composite of all small towns where ugliness rears its head, and where the people try to hide all the skeletons in their closets."
town. Hypocrisy, social inequities and class privilege are recurring themes in a tale that includes incest, abortion, adultery, lust and murder. The term "Peyton Place" became a generic label for any community whose inhabitants have sordid secrets.
Several characters and events were drawn from events in nearby towns and people Metalious actually knew. Selena Cross was based on Barbara Roberts, a 16-year-old girl from the village of Gilmanton Ironworks
, who murdered her father Sylvester after years of sexual abuse
and buried his body under a sheep pen. In the novel, Selena kills her stepfather, since incest was considered too taboo for readers at the time. Metalious' editor Kitty Messner made the change, much to the author's dismay and disapproval.
Constance leaves Peyton Place for New York City at a young age and meets a man in the publishing business named Allison MacKenzie, who is already married with children. (In the film adaptation, her father is named Angus, and in the television series, he became a New York City businessman named James.) Constance becomes pregnant with Allison's child, but Allison dies a few years after his daughter Allison is born. Both Constance and her daughter adopt Allison's last name before the two return to Peyton Place as a "widow" and child, and Constance alters her daughter's birth date to make her appear legitimate.
In Peyton Place, Nellie marries Lucas Cross shortly after their daughter Selena's birth, although Selena is not Lucas' child. Paul, Lucas's son and Selena's stepbrother, left Peyton Place after he accused Lucas of stealing his money. Nellie and Lucas later had a child together—Joey—who lives with the couple and Selena in "the shacks," a poor section of town. When Selena turned 14 years old, Lucas began to abuse her, impregnating her and leaving the local doctor in a troublesome situation in which he decided to perform an abortion. The doctor made Lucas leave town, and after she discovered this, Nellie committed suicide by hanging. Leslie Harrington, the richest man in town, was shattered when he lost his only son, Rodney, in a car accident.
Novelist Barbara Delinsky, author of the fictional Looking for Peyton Place (2006), summarized the storyline of Peyton Place on her website:
, film version
, television adaptation
and her 1959 novel, Return to Peyton Place. Although the sequel sold well, its success did not approach that of the original.
Some citizens of the Lakes Region
took umbrage at the notoriety that was quickly thrust upon the area, and they directed their resentment at Metalious. Vicious rumors began circulating about the author, some true (Metalious had an affair) and some preposterous (she bought groceries while wearing a fur coat and nothing underneath). Metalious later attempted to profit on her success when she invested in a motel on Lake Winnipesaukee
that was re-christened the Peyton Place Motel, but it was an unsuccessful venture.
Despite the controversy, Metalious insisted that Peyton Place was a work of fiction. When John Michael Hayes
, the screenwriter for the film adaptation, asked her if the novel was her autobiography
, Metalious told him to repeat the question and then spilled her drink on him. Metalious wrote very accurately about New Englanders and many in her hometown still remember the scandal caused by the book. She was almost barred from being buried in the church cemetery, but the church and townsfolk in Gilmanton finally relented.
was directed by Mark Robson
. A primetime drama series, Peyton Place
aired on ABC
in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.
seems to be an homage to Peyton Place. King borrows character names and certain plot elements from the earlier novel.
1956 in literature
The year 1956 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Writing under the pseudonym of Emile Ajar, author Romain Gary becomes the only person ever to win the Prix Goncourt twice.*Iris Murdoch marries John Bayley....
novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
best seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series.
The fictional Peyton Place is a composite of several real New Hampshire towns: Gilmanton
Gilmanton, New Hampshire
Gilmanton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,777 at the 2010 census. Gilmanton includes the villages of Gilmanton Corner and Gilmanton Ironworks...
, Gilford
Gilford, New Hampshire
Gilford is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,126 at the 2010 census. Situated on Lake Winnipesaukee, Gilford is home to Governors Island, Ellacoya State Beach, Belknap Mountain State Forest, Gunstock Mountain Ski Resort, and Meadowbrook U.S...
, Laconia
Laconia, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,411 people, 6,724 households, and 4,168 families residing in the city. The population density was 809.3 people per square mile . There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 421.8 per square mile...
and Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
. Grace Metalious and her husband George first considered Potter Place (the name of a real community near Andover, New Hampshire
Andover, New Hampshire
Andover is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,371 at the 2010 census. Andover includes the villages of Cilleyville, Potter Place, and East Andover, in addition to the town center...
). Realizing their town should have a fictional name, they looked through an atlas and found Payton (the name of a real town in Texas). They combined that with Place and changed the "a" to an "e". Thus, Peyton Place was created, prompting her comment, "Wonderful—that's it, George. Peyton Place. Peyton Place, New Hampshire. Peyton Place, New England. Peyton Place, USA. Truly a composite of all small towns where ugliness rears its head, and where the people try to hide all the skeletons in their closets."
Characters and story
The main plot follows the lives of three women—lonely and repressed Constance MacKenzie; her illegitimate daughter Allison; and her employee Selena Cross, a girl from across the tracks, or "from the shacks." The novel describes how they come to terms with their identity as women and sexual beings in a small New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
town. Hypocrisy, social inequities and class privilege are recurring themes in a tale that includes incest, abortion, adultery, lust and murder. The term "Peyton Place" became a generic label for any community whose inhabitants have sordid secrets.
Several characters and events were drawn from events in nearby towns and people Metalious actually knew. Selena Cross was based on Barbara Roberts, a 16-year-old girl from the village of Gilmanton Ironworks
Gilmanton Ironworks, New Hampshire
Gilmanton Ironworks is an unincorporated village in the town of Gilmanton in Belknap County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It is located near the eastern boundary of the town, along a stretch of the Suncook River south of the outlet of Crystal Lake...
, who murdered her father Sylvester after years of sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
and buried his body under a sheep pen. In the novel, Selena kills her stepfather, since incest was considered too taboo for readers at the time. Metalious' editor Kitty Messner made the change, much to the author's dismay and disapproval.
Constance leaves Peyton Place for New York City at a young age and meets a man in the publishing business named Allison MacKenzie, who is already married with children. (In the film adaptation, her father is named Angus, and in the television series, he became a New York City businessman named James.) Constance becomes pregnant with Allison's child, but Allison dies a few years after his daughter Allison is born. Both Constance and her daughter adopt Allison's last name before the two return to Peyton Place as a "widow" and child, and Constance alters her daughter's birth date to make her appear legitimate.
In Peyton Place, Nellie marries Lucas Cross shortly after their daughter Selena's birth, although Selena is not Lucas' child. Paul, Lucas's son and Selena's stepbrother, left Peyton Place after he accused Lucas of stealing his money. Nellie and Lucas later had a child together—Joey—who lives with the couple and Selena in "the shacks," a poor section of town. When Selena turned 14 years old, Lucas began to abuse her, impregnating her and leaving the local doctor in a troublesome situation in which he decided to perform an abortion. The doctor made Lucas leave town, and after she discovered this, Nellie committed suicide by hanging. Leslie Harrington, the richest man in town, was shattered when he lost his only son, Rodney, in a car accident.
Novelist Barbara Delinsky, author of the fictional Looking for Peyton Place (2006), summarized the storyline of Peyton Place on her website:
- Peyton Place opens in 1937. With the introduction of the small New Hampshire town and its characters, the social strata are clearly defined. Most noted among the well-to-do are Leslie Harrington, owner of the mill, and his spoiled son Rodney, the good-hearted doctor Matthew Swain and upstanding Seth Buswell, owner of the newspaper. The town's middle class is represented by the book's two main characters, Constance MacKenzie and her daughter Allison. The impoverished of the town are represented by Selena Cross and her family. The town is a character itself, a seductively beautiful facade that hides a plethora of ills... Constance, who gave birth to Allison in New York after an affair with a married man and then returned to Peyton Place pretending to be a widow, lives in fear that the truth of Allison's illegitimacy will come out. Allison, who has few friends, dreams alternately about her wonderful father and about being a famous writer. Meanwhile, Peyton Place's power elite gather to discuss ways of manipulating zoning laws to rid the town of tar-paper shacks. And Lucas Cross, owner of one such shack, is abusive toward his stepdaughter Selena. Allison, who is desperate for a friend, grows close to Selena, who is equally desperate to escape Lucas and poverty. But the two girls have many differences. While Allison wants Selena to share her love of bucolic little spots like Road's End, Selena wants only to spend time at Allison's mother's dress shop and, increasingly, to talk with boys. Moreover, when Allison finally gets a look inside the shack where Selena lives, she is horrified by the squalor and the violence she sees in Lucas. Eventually, Allison and Selena grow distant because of Selena's closeness with Ted Carter. At the same time, a new high school principal arrives to catch the eye of Allison's mother, Constance, and to dredge up forbidden thoughts.
Reactions
Another controversial character was school principal Tomas Makris, who bore the name and physical description of a Laconia resident and co-worker of Metalious' schoolteacher husband. In editions available in the United Kingdom, this character's name was Michael Kyros. Makris sued for libel, and settled out-of-court for $60,000. It later was revealed that Metalious had forged Makris' name on a release form, and the character was renamed Michael Rossi for the paperbackPaperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
, film version
Peyton Place (film)
Peyton Place is a 1957 American drama film directed by Mark Robson. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes is based on the bestselling 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious.-Plot:...
, television adaptation
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
and her 1959 novel, Return to Peyton Place. Although the sequel sold well, its success did not approach that of the original.
Some citizens of the Lakes Region
Lakes Region (New Hampshire)
The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is the mid-state region surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam Lake, Squam Lake, and Newfound Lake.The area is a popular tourist destination in the summer time, with the activity peaking during the annual Motorcycle Week and races at Loudon's New Hampshire...
took umbrage at the notoriety that was quickly thrust upon the area, and they directed their resentment at Metalious. Vicious rumors began circulating about the author, some true (Metalious had an affair) and some preposterous (she bought groceries while wearing a fur coat and nothing underneath). Metalious later attempted to profit on her success when she invested in a motel on Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is approximately long and from wide , covering — when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of ....
that was re-christened the Peyton Place Motel, but it was an unsuccessful venture.
Despite the controversy, Metalious insisted that Peyton Place was a work of fiction. When John Michael Hayes
John Michael Hayes
John Michael Hayes was an American screenwriter, who scripted several of Alfred Hitchcock's films in the 1950s, and subject of the book "" by Steven DeRosa.-Early life:...
, the screenwriter for the film adaptation, asked her if the novel was her autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Metalious told him to repeat the question and then spilled her drink on him. Metalious wrote very accurately about New Englanders and many in her hometown still remember the scandal caused by the book. She was almost barred from being buried in the church cemetery, but the church and townsfolk in Gilmanton finally relented.
Adaptations
A 1957 film adaptationPeyton Place (film)
Peyton Place is a 1957 American drama film directed by Mark Robson. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes is based on the bestselling 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious.-Plot:...
was directed by Mark Robson
Mark Robson
Mark Robson was a Canadian-born film editor, film director and producer in Hollywood.-Career:Born in Montreal, Quebec, he moved to the United States at a young age. He studied at the University of California, Los Angeles then found work in the prop department at 20th Century Fox studios...
. A primetime drama series, Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.
Dolores Claiborne
While not strictly an adaptation, Stephen King's 1992 novel Dolores ClaiborneDolores Claiborne
Dolores Claiborne is a 1992 psychological thriller novel by Stephen King. The novel is narrated by the title character. Atypically for a King novel, it has no chapters, double-spacing between paragraphs, or other section breaks; thus the text is a single continuous narrative which reads like a...
seems to be an homage to Peyton Place. King borrows character names and certain plot elements from the earlier novel.
Further reading
- "Peyton Place's Real Victim" by Michael Callahan, Vanity FairVanity Fair (magazine)Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, March 2006, p. 332.